Question

read this excerpt from the great fire.

schaffers first signal went out at 9:30. several minutes later, schaffer realized his mistake and ordered box 319 struck. this was still seven blocks away from the olearys, but close enough that firefighters could see the flames and alter their course. unfortunately, schaffers young assistant, william j. brown, stubbornly refused to strike box 319, saying he was afraid it would confuse the situation. brown was so stubborn about his decision that even after the fire he was able to write arrogantly in a letter that \i am still standing the watch that burned chicago.\

what caused the fire engines to head toward the wrong location?

• the fire was too small for them to see.
• several fires were burning at once.
• schaffers assistant refused to correct the signal.
• schaffer and his assistant struck multiple boxes.

Explanation:

Analyze the question and text

The question asks what caused the fire engines to head toward the wrong location. The text states that Schaffer realized his mistake and ordered Box 319 struck, which would have corrected the course of the firefighters. However, "Schaffer's young assistant, William J. Brown, stubbornly refused to strike Box 319."

Evaluate the options

• "The fire was too small for them to see": Incorrect. The text mentions firefighters could have seen the flames if they got close enough.
• "Several fires were burning at once": Incorrect. Not mentioned in the excerpt.
• "Schaffer's assistant refused to correct the signal": Correct. The assistant, William J. Brown, refused to strike Box 319 to correct the initial wrong signal.
• "Schaffer and his assistant struck multiple boxes": Incorrect. The assistant refused to strike the correct box.

Answer:

• The fire was too small for them to see.
• Several fires were burning at once.
• Schaffer's assistant refused to correct the signal. (Correct answer)
• Schaffer and his assistant struck multiple boxes.